Electric cut-out device



(No Model.)

J. C. GHAMBERLAIN.

ELECTRIC CUT-CUT DEVICE.

Patented Ja,11.29, 1889.

lll

inurl!" mi lll m UNITED STATES PATENT CErrcE.

J. CHESTER CHAMBERLAIN, OF NFY YORK, N. Y.

ELECTRIC CUT-OUT DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Bate-nt No. 396,920, dated January 29, 1889.

Application filed June 29, 1887. Serial No. 242,830. (No model.)

.To all whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, J. CHESTER CHAMBER- LAIN, of the cit-y of New York, in the county and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Electric vCut-Out Devices, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to connecting-blocks used in electric-light wiring for supporting fusible links or safety-catches and connecting them in circuit.

My object is to construct such blocks in a simple and efficient manner, and to enable good electrical and mechanical connections to be readily made thereon, and to effectively insulate the two sides of the circuit from each other.

Hy invention consists in the novel devices and combinations ot' devices employed by me in accomplishing the above-named objects, as hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a plan view of a safety-catch block embodying my invention, with its cover removed; Fig. 2, a cross-section thereof with the cover on, and Fig. 3 a bottom view of the block.

The block as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 is designed for situations where there are two crossing circuits, or branch circuits are taken oit' from a main circuit, and connection between the crossing circuits or between the main and branch circuits is made through safety-catches, one for each pole of the circuit. hly invention is as well adapted, however, for the simple interpolation of a safetycatch in each side of a continuous circuit, and the devices at the top of the block (seen in Fig. i) are the same in the latter case as in the former.

A and A are blocks of suitable insulating material, preferably a non-combustible material. The lower block, A has two diagonal parallel slots or grooves, a c, in its llower side and two parallel grooves, o b, at right angles thereto in its upper side. The block A has a circular screw-threaded part, A2, on its upper side, and it has four holes, c c (l d, extending through it, each surrounded at the under side of the block by a countersunk annular plate, c. lVhen the plates are put together, vas shown, the apertures c meet the slots Z9 Zi at their middle parts, where circular recesses f are formed. The apertures d communicate with apertures g y', extending through the block A at the middle of the slots 1 U, and i provided with annular coiniecting-plates 71 lz. The wires l B of the main circuit are laid in the slots a cf', being bared of insulation at the parts beneath the apertures g y. The wires C C of the branching multiple-arc circuits are laid in the slots l) /,being similarly bared beneath the apertures c c. 'lhrough the apertures c c are inserted, from the bottom of the block A before the blocks are pnt together, connecting devices, which are in the form of hooks, each consisting of a screwthreaded rod or stem, yz', and an enlarged head, lo, having an oblique slot, I. The screwthreaded stems extend through metal contact plates m m on top of block A. The wires C C in the slots l) b are passed through the slots l l, and nuts In are then screwed upon the ends of the stems, so as to draw the hooks up against the wires and make a good electrical and mechanical connection between such wires and the plates m m', respectively. Similar connecting hooks, but of greater length, consisting of stems IL" and heads 7c', with oblique slots l', extend through both blocks by means of the apertures (7 and y g. These hold the wires B l at their lower ends in the slots a o and pass through contactplates j) p on the top ot' the box, being provided with nuts 'q (j, which not only hold the wires and secure connection between said wires and their contact-plates, but act tohold the two parts of the block firmly together.

Fach of the contact-plates imm/,1), and p is provided with an upwardly-extending lug, fr. To these lugs are attached, by means of binding-screws s s, the fusible wire safetycatches. Safety-catch t connects plate on with plate p, and safety-catch t connects plates in and p. lt will be seen that the circuit B "5 is thus connected with circuit C C through safety-catches-one for each side or pole of the circ-uit. connected, however, l place upon the block a double insulating-bridge, D, preferably of glass or other non-combustible material, of the form shown, which sets down upon the block between the contact-plates and effectu- Before the safety-catches are' IOC ally separates all said plates from one another and prevents any danger of short-circuiting or arcing between the plates. The safetycatch Wires are bent so as to pass over the bridge in guiding-slots u u.

In order to protect the block and the safetycatches from external contact, I provide a cover or cap, E, which is placed over the block, and secured by a screw-threaded metal ring, F, screwed on the circular portion A2 of the block and engaging a flange, fu, on the cover.

lV hat I claim isl. The combination of an insulating-block, safety-catch termin als on one side thereof, and metal hooks extending from said terminals through said block for engagement with circuit-Wires on the other side thereof, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of an insulating-block, safety-catch terminals on one side thereof, metal hooks extending from said terminals through said block for engagement with circuit-Wires on the other side thereof, and means for locking said hooks in place, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination of an insulating-block having slots on its lower side for receiving circuit-Wires, and safety-catch terminals on its upper side, and the connecting devices passing through said block, having oblique slots at their lower ends for receiving the Wires, and clamping-nuts on their upper ends, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination of two blocks placed together, the Wires of a circuit passing beneath said blocks, the Wires of a crossing or branching circuit between said blocks, connecting devices extending from the wires beneath the blocks through both blocks to safety-catch terminals, connecting devices extending from the Wires between said blocks through the upper block to other safety-catch terminals, and safety-catches joining the Wires of one pair, respectively, to those of the other pair, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination, with the safety-catch block and the four terminal plates thereon, of the double insulating-bridge upon said block separating said plates from one another, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination of the block, the four safetycatch terminal plates thereon, the double insulating-lnidge, and the cover, substantially as set forth.

This specification signed and witnessed this 25th, day of June, 1887.

J. CHESTER CHAMBERLAIN.

W'itnesses:

WILLIAM PEZER, E. C. ROWLAND. 

